Mounting for propeller-shafts.



VI GROVE, l MOUNTING FOI?` FIIIIIPELLEII sIIAFs.

' APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I7. i915. 1,1 87,309, Patented J une 13,A1916.

a SHEETS-SHEET I.

INI/Enron I /z'czar Grave ArronNEI/s WIT/VE 8 Patented June 13, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2 WITNESS 8 A TTORIVEYS f En Es T f 'VICTOR enovn, orCALLAO', iviissouni.

MOUNTING- FOiB, PROPELLER-SHAITS.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, Vio'ron GROVE, a citizen of the United States. and aresident of Callao, in the county of Macon and State of Missouri, haveinvented a new and Improved Mounting for Propeller-Shafts, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to mountings foi' propeller shafts and admits ofgeneral use,`

but is' of peculiar value in connection with propeller shafts used fordriving boats, aeroplanes, and even cars, in instances where Vit may bepracticable to use propellers, and,

in fact, the invention maybe employed in all relations where a propellercan be used and in which it is desirable to shift the axis of rotationof the propeller to relatively different angles.

More particularly stated my invention comprehends a propeller mountingso arranged that the axis of rotation of the propeller may be shiftedinto an infinite variety of angular directions.

My invention further comprehends a propeller and mounting therefor, inwhich the various parts are so arran ed, proportioned and balanced thatthe shi ting of the direction of the axis of the propeller shaft may beaccomplished Without affecting the centerl of gravity of the mechanismas a whole.

My invent-ion further contemplates vari ous improvements in mountings.for propeller shafts foi` the purpose of improving the generalefficiency thereof.

My device may be .used for both propelling 'and 'steering vehicles, aswell as boats and other marine vessels, together with balloons,aeroplanes, hydroplaiie's, and variousl other movable bodies which it isdesired to propel and guide, whether on land, in oron Water, orinvatmospheric air.

My invention contemplates, among other things, a device for supporting,securing and carrying a prime mover, such. as an engine or an electricmotor` so as to maintain the same in proper working relation to ,thevpropeller .and variousother parts immediately aifected.

A typical application of my invention is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawingsforming a part of this specification, and in which likereference characters indicate like parts.

Figure 1 is a view partly in section and Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented J une 13, 1916.

Application filed September 17, 1915. Serial No. 51,216.

and propeller; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary Side elevation showing anotherform of my invention; Fig. 6 is a fragmentary end elevation of the same.

The' body portion 7 is provided with deck portions 8, 9, these partstogether constituting a movable platform, which may, if desired, be thehull or body portion of a boat. Mounted upon the deck portion8 is asupporting rail 10. Secured upon' the deck portion 9 is a pedestal 11,which may, if desired, be a wooden block. A tubular sleeve 12 isprovided with anchor plates 13, the latter being secured firmly to thedeck portions 8, 9. The sleeve 12 is further provided with webs 14integral with it and with the anchor plates 13, the webs serving asbraces. The sleeve 12 is further provided with a portion 15 extendingupwardly and havling generally the form o-f a cylindrical nec Extendingthrough the sleeve 12 and -revoluble relatively to the same is a tubularsleeve 16, serving the purpose of a king post. This sleeve, at' its'lower end, is provided with a collar 17 held rigidly upon it ov a pin18, 'this collar 17 serving as a limiting stop for preventing upwardtravel of the' tegral with an annular flange 92. By means of bolts 23,the annular member 21 is se' cured rigidly to the ange 19 of the sleeve1G. The parts 20, 21 and 22 constitute a beam 24 arranged above thedecil portieri S. By this arrangement, the weight of the sleeve 16 andof the various parts supported thereby, rests directly upon thestationary sleeve 12, the sleeve 16 and parts carried by 115 .rail 10.

it being revoluble relatively .to this stationary sleeve. l

Mounted upon the beam 24 is a plate 25 secured in position by bolts 26.The beam z 24 and partsearried by it .arerevoluble l with 'the sleeve16. Integralwith the plate 25 and extendingupwardlv in opposite di:rrections therefrom, are two arms 27, 27, which are provided with flanges28. A pair im of end frames 29 are mounted upon the ends l of the beam24, and secured upon the end frames 29 are easter frames 30, the latterbeing provided with supporting Wheels 31, `Whieh rest revolubly'uponthe'supporting The end frames 29 are provided withhorizontally-extending plates 32, and resting uponthese plates arehorizontallyextending plates 33, the latter being integral with yokearms 34, 34a of the general form 0 shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The yoke-arms34, 34 are provided With flanges 35, which serve as bracesl for journalboxes 36. These journal boxesare provided with detaf l1able eaps37, heldin position by bolts 38, thus 25 forming annular or cylindricalbearings.

Mounted upon the yoke arms -34a and integral therevvith,'is a post 39,Which carries a journal box 40, the latter being provided with a cap 41and constituting therewith a cylindrical or annular'bearing. A revolubleshaft 42 engages the bearing or journal box and one of the bearings orjournal boxes 36, and is provided with a handzivheel 43, by the rotationof which the shaft 42 is 35 turned. y

Mounted rigidly upon the revoluble shaft 42, is a cylindrical collar453, provided with van annular bead 44,and with a downwardlyextending'lug 45. Y An angle beam 46 pro- 4o videdvwith ahorizontally-extending web 47,

is secured rigidly to the lug 45, by bolts 45,

as may be understood from Fig. 4. The parts are soarranged that jivhenthe shaft 42 is roekedwo 1 turned, the angle beam 46 12.5 is tilted inthe general.A direction of its length, to practically any desiredangle...A

The ,otherr journal box 36 supports a comparatively short revolubleshaft 48, as ma be understood Vfrom Fig-1, this shaft being in alinementWith/the shafty 42. rlhe mounting of the shaft 48 in the journal boxl 36'ilsy somewhat similar to that of the shaft 42 in its journal box.Carried by the shaft 48" is a sleeve 49, similar to the sleeve 43 labovedescribed, and provided with a down- I ivardly-extending lug 48a."Secured to this `/lug `is an; angle iron 50, provided with all'fatera'lly-extending web portion 51, and cor- './responding to theangle iron 4G Wpith its Web portion 47.

The prime mover is here shown` as an internal combustion engine, and is"provided with apropeller shaft` 53, and with a propeller 54 carried bythis .propeller shaft. mi The, prima mover is also provided With bedplates 55, which are, by bolts 56, secured by both the axial line of theshafts 42 and 4S. and the axis` of the rotation of the propeller shaft.

The entire framework above the deck 8 may be turned in a horizontalplane, as the supporting Wheels 31 are free to roll upon the annularsupporting rail 10.v Therefore, the propeller shaft 53 may be turned toany desired angle Within the horizontal plane of rotation. By turningthe hand Wheel 43, the propeller shaft may be shifted to praetical-lyany desired vertical angle. Therefore, the propeller'v shaft `has auniversal movement Arelative to its, support, and no matter how theprime moverand propeller may be shifted, the center of gravity oftheentire system remains unchanged.

The operator may use the propeller-either for driving the boat or otherstructure upon which it is mounted, or for steering the boat or other'structure in any direction in which itis capable of'traveling. When thede- ,i

vice is used upon aeroplanes, the propeller shaft may be-so shiftedas tohave the tendency to ydrive the maenine in practically any desireddirection, and the same. propeller may be employed for they/jointpurpose of steering and propelling/ l' In Figs. 5 and G, 1 show aslightly different form of my apparatus, the proportions being varied soas to enable the axis of rotation of the propeller to ybe shifted inabsolutely any given direction.' For some purposes, the mechanism hereshown may be preferable to that appearing in the other figures. Thestationary sleeve 12 and the revoluble sleeve 1G extending through itand `revoluble relatively# thereto, have the same form as before.Mounted upon the upper end of the revoluble sleeve 16, is a casting 57,provided with flanges 58.` Engaging these flanges is an anglebeam 59,secured in position by bolts 60. The `angle beam 50' is provided Withdownwardly-extending Webs 6.1.

' The parts just described together constitute a horizontal beam.Extending upvv'ardly from the ends of this beam are two other beams 62,which, at their upper ends, are provided with journal. bearings 63.These bearings are'provided with detachable caps 64, held in position bybolts (35. Two shafts 66,- G7,'similar totheshafts 48 and 42 abovedescribed, are supported by the bearings 63; beams` 67a provided attheir bottoms with laterallyextending flange portions 68, are supportedupon downwardly-extending lugs 67h, the latter being carried by sleeves,which cncircle theshafts 66 and 67. The engine or' other prime mover ismounted upon the' provided with a plane, the propeller shaft 70 isturned 0r rotated to any desired vertical'angle., EX- cept as abovedescribed, the action of the mechanism is identical with or closelyanalogous to that described in connection with Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive.

I do not limit myself to the precise construction shown as variationsmay be made therefrom without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters 1. A device of thecharacter described, comprising a pivoted supporting frame mounted on avertical pivot, and provided with wheels, a circular track on which thewheels travel, a prime mover provided with a propeller and pivotallymounted in the frame, and means connected with one of the pivots of theprime mover for turning the same.

2. A device of the character described,

.com rising a ivoted su ortino' frame having upwardly and inwardlyextending and spaced members, a prime mover pivotally mounted betweenthe members of the supporting frame and provided with a propeller, andmeans connected with one of the pivots of the prime mover'. for turning.the

same. f

A device of the character, described, comprising a pivoted supportingframe having upwardly and inwardly extending members spaced from eachother, said fra e being mounted on a vertical pivot and provided withwheels, a circular track on which the wheels travel, a prime moverpivotally mounted between the members of the stipporting frame, andmeans for swinging he prime mover on its pivots. j

4. A device of the character described comprising a stationary shaft oftubullar form; a movable shaft of tubular form extending through saidstationary shaft a supporting deck disposed adjacent said sitationarytubular shaft; a supporting rail of annular form mounted upon said deckia revoluble frame connected.rigidly with s id revoluble tubular shaft;caster memb rs connected with said frame and provi ed with-supportingwheels engaging said nnular supporting rail so as to allow s id frame toturn; a prime mover mounted upon said frame and provided with apropeller shaft; and means for turning said primemover and saidpropeller shaft so that said propeller shaft assumes different anglesrelative to said revoluble frame.

5. A device ofthe character described comprising a stationary post oftubular form; a revoluble .post of' tubular form exy tending into saidstationaryl post of tubular form; a casing carried by said revolublepost of tubular form and secured relatively to the same; a beam mountedupon said casing and provided with downwardlyextending web portionsengaging the same; supporting members mounted upon the ends of 'saidbeam and provided with journal boxes; and means for mounting a primemover having a propeller and a propeller shaft upon said supportingmembers.

6; A device of the character described comprising a stationary post oftubular form; anchor plates carried by saidk stationary post anddisposed adjacent .the ends thereof; web membersv carried by saidstationary post and engaging said anchor plates for the purpose` ofbracing said stationary post; a revoluble post of tubular formextending. through said: stationary post; a collar mounted adjacent oneend of said post of tubular form and serving as a limiting stop forpreventing end movement of said revoluble post relativelyto saidstationary post; a framework mountedupon said revoluble post; aprirnemover carried bysaid framework; and a propeller shaft and a propeller inoperative relation to said prim mover and supported upon said fram work,said propeller and said propeller shaft being movable to differentvangles relatively to said framework.`

7.' In a device of the class described,4 a movable frame memberprovidedv with a pair of journal bearings; a pair of revoluble shaftsengaging said journal bearings and adapted to turn relatively thereto,said shafts being in alinement; means for turning one'of said shafts ;vland a prime mover each other; a prime mover 4Supported di-' rectly uponsaid shafts; and means controllable at the will of the. loperator forturning one of said shafts and thereby turning said vprime mover and theother of said shafts, seid prime mover being provided with a propellershaft so disposed that the axis of said propeller shaft intersects theaxial line of said rst-'mentioned shafts, the distribution oit' W ightof seid prime mover being su'oh that i@ coincides with the nterseetionof the axis of the propeller 'shaft with that of seid irst-mentioned`shafts.-

9. A device of the Class described. comprising, av supporting framemounted on e vertical pivot7 said frame having upwardly and inwardlyinclined. members terminat- 4ing :L propeller and connected with each ofsaid shafts, and means connected with one shaft for. turning it.

' VICTOR GROVE. lVitnesses:

JOHN HARDIN MATH-1s, Jol-1N T, HoLMA'N.

